Disclaimer: Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.
Title: The Darkest Part of the Night
Rating: M for graphic violence, blood play, vampire feeding, sexual situations, lemons, hot steamy angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.
Premise: Edward left Carlisle to live the vampire lifestyle but he didn't leave his family behind. They left with him, feeding off the dregs of human society. What will happen when they finally meet a certain human girl? No Vegetarians Allowed AU OOC ExB Lemons
Alternate Universe: This story uses more traditional vampire canon as opposed to Twilight sparklepires. Canon pairings eventually although Edward and company get a lot of play in this story until things settle down in later chapters (Obviously Bella won't be in the story until after she's born), pretty much OOC, ExB of course.
POV: EPOV (Edward) Edward tells this story. Any commentary from Rosalie, Alice or Bella will be posted as outtakes in a separate story.
– – – –
Author Notes:
Please note that this story is rated M for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.
– – – – – – – – – – –
Chapter 11 Alice
There was a soft knock on the door and Alice walked to open the door of our suite for Rose and Emmett. She invited them in and led them into the living room. Rose looked anxious and was holding what looked like a stack of mail.
It had been three days since we had arrived in Atlantic City and I had moved into Alice's suite with her. It gave us all the most privacy. We were making plans to leave on Friday, and for all intents and purposes, I still planned to travel to Chicago. Alice had implied on several occasions that we would be going to New York City instead, but so far I had seen nothing concrete that would cause me to change my destination. I had seen Alice's visions in her head, and so far she had never been wrong, but I could be very stubborn at times, and I wasn't changing my plans until something happened to make that change necessary.
"Edward," Rose began as Alice led her and Emmett to the sofa to sit, "There was a message from the concierge that we had letters waiting at the front desk. Emmett and I went down to check and collect our mail when we rose this evening. We were expecting the usual business correspondence, but there's a large letter from Carlisle. He had your attorneys in Chicago forward it to you."
I sighed and looked over at Alice. She had a smug grin on her face as she nonchalantly polished her nails and looked out the window but wouldn't meet my eyes. I could hear all the 'I told you so' gloating echoing through her mind, but she was waiting for me to actually read the letters before she was going to start in on me. She'd been expecting this for days and had warned me on our first night together to expect this.
I suppose I was in denial or just didn't really want the extra complication in my life that this represented, but it was time to bow to the inevitable and accept my role in the future Alice had laid before me. This course was the lesser of two evils, and would insure our relative autonomy. In effect all I had to do was follow Alice's plan. It just went against my natural American sense of independence to have to submit to any sort of authority, but when the alternatives were either an even greater loss of independence, death or a life spent on the run constantly looking over my shoulder. This really wasn't such a bad deal.
I held out my hand to take the mail from Rose. "Let me take a look, Rose. I've been expecting this, but I really was hoping Alice would be wrong for once."
Rose handed me the stack of letters. Most of them were ordinary business correspondence that had finally caught up with us once we stopped for a couple of days to take a break from the road. The thickest letter was from Carlisle, forwarded to me by my attorney in Chicago. This was the letter that was going to change our lives and alter our path for the foreseeable future.
I set the other letters down and with a heavy sense of dread, opened the package and began reading. The cover letter started off like so many other letters I had read. There was a second envelope inside from Carlisle. I opened it, and the heavy parchment missive with an official looking seal only intensified my sense of trepidation. Carlisle had included a letter of his own as well.
-~*TDPotN*~-
Dear Sir,
The attached letter was posted to our offices in Chicago, IL, addressed to Mr. Edward Masen c/o Dr. Carlisle Cullen.
Dr. Cullen's letter explained that he received the initial correspondence, addressed to you, and was in turn forwarding it to our Chicago Offices with the intention that it reach you at your earliest convenience.
Per your instructions, I am forwarding the letter to you unopened.
Your faithful servant,
Alistair Scott, esquire
Business Letter posted May, 1938, Atlantic City, NJ
-~*TDPotN*~-
Edward Masen
The honor of your presence is
Formally requested
at an Audience before the
Volturi Triumvirate
For the purpose of
Making your Acquaintance
And
Discussion of a Proposal
All current members of
Your traveling company
Shall attend you
Please report to Volterra
On or about July 15th, 1938 at 9 p.m.
you will be contacted
Upon arrival
With further details
By my hand, this 15th day of April Anno Domini 1938
Aro
Speaker,
Volturi Triumvirate
Attachment to business Letter posted May, 1938, Atlantic City, NJ
-~*TDPotN*~-
Edward,
I trust my missive finds you well.
I am sure by now that you have had an opportunity to peruse the correspondence from our esteemed colleagues in Volterra.
I have received an invitation to attend Aro's Court in Volterra for the purpose of witnessing your audience. This is my right as your sire, and I assume the attached missive addressed to you is a similar invitation requesting that you attend Aro for this audience.
Do not make the mistake of assuming that this is a voluntary action that you have discretion to refuse or ignore. One does not turn down the invitation of the Volturi. While the request might be formulated as an invitation, make no mistake that you have been ordered to appear upon penalty of death.
Esme and I will make our way to New York City at our earliest convenience. I will be securing rooms at the Ritz-Carlton hotel for accommodations while I make arrangements for our passage to Europe. I understand that the timing is inconvenient while the European human governments move closer to what will surely erupt into another war, but this journey cannot be delayed or avoided.
Please contact me upon your arrival in New York City should you wish to travel together. Failing that I will see you in Volterra in July.
Sincerely,
Carlisle Cullen
Attachment to business Letter posted May, 1938, Atlantic City, NJ
-~*TDPotN*~-
I passed the letters to Rose when I'd finished reading them. She quickly scanned through them, her anxiety level rising as she determined the nature of the correspondence. She handed them off to Emmett, who in turn gave them to Alice to read. She quickly scanned them but she already knew them for what they were and gave them back to me.
"Ok, I don't get it," Emmett said. "What do these Italian jokers want from us? We haven't broken any rules, have we? I'll admit that one lady in Tennessee in the park with the dog was crossing the line, but I was young and stupid. Nothing ever came of it. I learned my lesson, and I'm more careful now. I haven't had anymore accidents…"
"This isn't about you, Emmett. It's about me. Well, me and Alice. You're too young for the Volturi to even care about as long as you keep your nose clean and stay out of trouble. We're barely old enough to have attracted their attention, but we have."
I wasn't going to tell them that Alice had contacted the Volturi as part of her scheme to manipulate us into this situation. Rose was finally starting to trust her a little, and I didn't want to damage their budding friendship. Rose had missed having another girl around to talk too openly and share things with. She liked Alice even if she was convinced she had ulterior motives for joining us. She did, but I wasn't going to tell Rose that.
"Fine, so what do they want with you and Alice then?"
"I'm assuming they want to recruit us to serve on their guard."
"Their guard…? You mean the guys that go around enforcing the rules? You're getting' drafted? How does that work?" Emmett asked.
"According to Volturi Law, every vampire is obligated to provide fifty years of service to the Volturi at some point during their existence." Alice said. "This is normally considered voluntary and most vampires consider it an honor and privilege to be chosen to serve on the guard."
"There is a tendency though for the Volturi to favor gifted vampires and seek them out to invite them to join. Most of the core group of the guard is gifted and has served for much longer than the basic fifty year obligation. Some of them have been with the guard for centuries, even millennia."
"There are those that believe that the Volturi have some means to cause them to not want to leave. It's likely that some vampire in the group has a gift that binds them to the guard so they want to stay and probably think it's their own idea. Besides, they do get a good deal of power, prestige and other perks from being part of the guard, too."
"So this is why you said we were going to New York?" Rose asked. She sounded upset.
"Yes," I replied. "Alice and I had discussed this a couple of days ago. She saw this turn of events coming. It's one of the reasons she felt it was time to join us."
"So that's it? Do you even want to be part of the guard? I thought we had plans? We were going to get some houses. Build a life for ourselves… Are we just supposed to put all of that on hold for fifty years because some guy in Italy wants you to come work for him?"
"I have no intention of joining the guard, Rose. Alice doesn't want to join them either, but we still need to go to New York, and we'll have to travel to Volterra in Italy as well. We're going to have to meet them face to face to resolve this issue."
"Carlisle's letter said that even though this is an invitation, nobodyturns down the invitation of the Volturi. If they invite you to join the guard, will you have a choice?"
"No, if it gets that far, we'll be obligated to join," Alice said, "It would be an unforgivable faux pas to decline the invitation. It's considered a great honor to be offered a position on the guard but I'm going to offer Aro an alternative to recruiting us for the guard that I think he'll find to be a much more important use of our skills."
"Ok… So are you going to let us in on the plan?" Rose asked impatiently.
"No…"
"Excuse me? Why…" Rose started indignantly.
"I can't say anything yet. I'm sorry Rose, and I don't mean to be cryptic. I've discussed it with Edward because he would have seen it in my mind eventually, anyhow. Besides, it increases the chances of success with him on board as a willing participant. Unfortunately, the more people I tell, the more variables that are introduced, and it reduces the chances for success. I can tell you that I think the plan will work, but I shouldn't say anymore until I've talked to Carlisle and we pitch the idea to Aro."
"Ok, when do we leave for New York?"
"Friday, as planned," I answered her, trying to sound confident.
"Alright, I'll call the concierge and arranged to have our bags shipped. Is the Ritz ok? That's where Carlisle said he would be staying."
"That's fine, Rose. Go ahead and make the arrangements." I said.
-~*TDPotN*~-
I had to admit; Alice looked absolutely adorable and kind of hot in her new travel attire as she bounced out of the front doors at the Claridge hotel for the last time and danced across the entry court and sidewalk out to where I sat on my Harley waiting for her. Rose followed her out at a more sedate pace and walked over to where Emmett sat on his bike behind me.
Alice was wearing a pair of tailored denim pants tucked into her knee high black leather boots. I wasn't really sure what sort of shirt she was wearing with the outfit, but she had on a three-quarter length black leather aviator style jacket with a silk scarf around her neck and fitted leather kid gloves. It gave her the appearance of a fighter pilot from the Great War around the time we had both been turned.
It was still twilight out with the sun below the horizon, but still light enough out for humans to see comfortably without street lights or headlights on the cars. I had a pair of goggles for Alice, but she turned her nose up at them when I handed them to her and just tucked them in the saddle bag. She flipped her dark glasses down off the top of her head and settled them on the bridge of her nose instead. She pulled her leather motorcycle cap out from under her arm and settled it on her head and she was ready to go.
I suppose Alice matched me, after a fashion. I was wearing baggy dungaree work pants tucked into knee high black engineer boots that were buckled tight bellow the knee. I was wearing a button down work shirt and my shorter black leather motorcycle jacket. The jacket snapped down the front with a belt at the waist to cinch it tight. The pockets zipped shut to protect the contents while riding. I had the top folded back like lapels that were held down by snaps, or you could close the jacket all the way to the collar. The wind didn't bother me so I left the lapels snapped open. I wore the goggles to keep bugs and debris out of my eyes, and my leather motorcycle cap to keep them out of my hair.
Emmett was dressed enough like me that it practically looked like a uniform, except for the fact that he was much larger with his brawny frame, broad chest and heavy ropy muscles. He still favored the Gatsby cap for travel although we both knew the bowler hat wouldn't blow off in the wind, and provided more protection whether we needed it or not.
Rose looked almost like she was ready to go fox hunting on horseback from her attire. She was wearing fitted tweed riding pants and dark brown knee high riding boots, but she had substituted a fitted leather jacket for the traditional blazer. In the past she had always worn riding goggles like me, but tonight she had substituted a pair of dark glasses like Alice. She tied a scarf around her hair so it wouldn't whip around in the wind, secured in place with a pillbox hat pinned on a jaunty angle. A pair of light leather driving gloves completed the outfit tor her. She climbed onto the back of the Harley behind Emmett, settling the instep of her boots onto the foot pegs, and wrapping her arms around his waist.
Alice climbed onto the back of my bike, snuggling up behind me as she pushed up against my back and put the instep of her boots up on the foot pegs. Her thighs spread to press along my hips as her knees were splayed apart to fit around my body. She wrapped her arms around my waist as she held on tight.
This was going to be a leisurely cruise up to the City. It was only a four hour trip, but we had to allow time for our luggage to be shipped ahead of us. We typically preferred to let our baggage precede us so we'd have fresh clothes to change into upon arrival. We had our travel clothes with us and we were going to swing northwest and head into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania tonight to hole up in a cheap motel along the way. Then we would finish our cruise into New York City tomorrow night.
There was no Garden State Parkway or any freeways to speak of, for that matter in 1938 and the few toll ways that existed were few and far between. The most direct route for us was to cut across to Philadelphia if we wanted to stay on well maintained paved roads and not wind through the countryside taking the scenic route. Then we'd cross back into New Jersey for the trip back across the northern part of the state and take the Holland tunnel into Manhattan.
Our hotel for the New York stay was on the Upper East Side with a view of Central Park. We hadn't started looking into transatlantic passage yet, but the passenger cruise line docks were all along the Hudson River along the west side of Manhattan Island. It would be a priority once we were settled in the city, but for now I could simply enjoy the ride out to Philadelphia.
Alice moaned and gave a little whimper as I kicked the engine to life on the Harley. The vibration radiated through the frame and right through her body between her legs the way she was sitting behind me. I chuckled as I toed the bike into gear with my left foot and let out the clutch with my hand to pull away from the curb. Alice gripped me tighter and purred into my ear as I merged into traffic and started driving across town and out of the city, chasing the path of the sun.
This is kind of nice… I've never ridden on a motorcycle before, Edward… I like it… How fast will this go…? Will you show me…?
"You can speak out loud, Alice. I can hear you, and you'll be able to hear me too. It would be more difficult for a human."
I know… Maybe I don't want to share my thoughts with anyone besides you…
"Yeah, Shorty, Speak up so we can all hear you." Emmett chimed in, as though reading my mind.
"Edward cheats enough, and keeps you all to himself all the time. So what do you think now that we're finally hittin' the road? You as tired of that stuffy, stuck up hotel as I was? Got nothin' 'gainst nice things now and again, but I can only take sittin' in the lap'o luxury for so long, 'fore I need to git back ta my roots."
"I don't care what you root in, as long as you don't track it in the house," Rose said with a laugh. "You can play however you like, as long as you take a shower before you touch me."
"Hey, that ain't what I meant! 'Sides, you like it in the dirt as much as me, Rosie, so don't go givin' me those high society airs'."
Alice laughed. "You like to tell it like it is, don't you Emmett? Yeah, I like this. I'm ready to see some of the world with my own two eyes and leave city life behind for a while. 'Course, I like nice things too. Maybe this'll help me to appreciate them more when we decide to treat ourselves to a nice hotel or house we buy."
"God, you make it sound like we're leaving civilization behind for an adventure into the depths of the Amazon rainforest or something." I laughed. "We're spending one night in Philly, and then were booked at the Ritz-Carleton hotel in New York until we sail for Europe! Its' a five star hotel and nicer than the one we just checked out of!"
"I suppose that's true…" Alice mused. "We'll do more of this once we get to Europe though."
"We're taking the Motorcycles with us?" I asked. I hadn't really considered it, but I supposed we could. It wouldn't cost much to ship them over with our luggage.
"I think so, unless you bought something else when we get there…." Alice thought about it for a minute. "Nope, we're taking them. You won't think the local offerings are powerful enough, and you'll be dissatisfied with them. Besides, I know how you feel about cars…"
"I like cars… I just like motorcycles better. Perhaps when cars are a little more powerful and reliable, I might consider owning one… Rose and I had that Chevy in Nashville."
"And you hated it Edward." Rose said. "You always complained about how big and slow it was. Seventy miles per hour is not slow…"
"It was an ungainly behemoth, but it served its purpose. We needed something that would carry three and something for me to go solo hunting in to bring back snacks for the two of you. It worked so we could all hunt together when Emmett was new."
"You'd probably enjoy one of those sporty little Bugatti Coupes." Rose continued.
"That's true, but I'm not too keen on all things Italian at the minute."
"Bugatti is European, Edward," Alice chimed in. "The founder and chief designer is Italian, and lends his name to the company, but their factory is in Alsace, on the border between France and Germany."
"Why don't you just say it's a French company then?"
"That all depends on the political climate and who's won the latest war. It was part of the kingdom of France until 1871, then the Prussians took control, and it was part of Germany until 1918. France got it back in the Treaty of Versailles, but I have a feeling it's about due to shift back again soon."
"Why the hell are we even traveling to Europe, Alice? I understand we need to talk to the Volturi face to face, but you follow the news. The political situation in Europe is going to hell in a hand basket. I don't care if time magazine does think Adolph Hitler is man of the year, the situation over there scares the hell out of me."
"What in particular don't you like about it? You don't hold with Fascism? He's managed to turn around the worst of the depression in Germany and created thousands of jobs. He's revitalizing their economy."
"It's not so much their politics that disturb me, although I don't care for either the fascists or the communists. Truth be told, I'm fond of the American brand of democracy, despite the fact that the way we operate as a republic leaves a lot of opportunities for corruption. The system is diversified enough that we manage to get the job done without vesting too much power in any one individual.
"Hitler is turning around their economy and creating jobs by retooling for war and rebuilding the German army. He's ignoring most of the provisions of the 1918 armistice, and they're letting him get away with it because it's improving the economic situation in Europe. I guess that's what disturbs me the most, that a couple of men in a handful of countries can rise to power so fast and basically hold the world hostage to their demands. Between Hitler in Germany, Stalin in Russia, and Mussolini in Italy, they're going to end up pushing too far and start another war."
"War is almost inevitable at this point, Edward. You've heard Hitler's rhetoric. He's intent on conquering Europe and bringing it under his rule in an empire to rival ancient Rome. If he succeeds in Europe, he won't stop until he has the rest of the world under his control."
"Then why are we going to Europe, Alice, if it's about to erupt into war?"
"That's kind of the point, Edward. Besides, we have a window of opportunity to get in, make our deal and get out. The war won't start until next year in September of 1939 when Germany invades Poland. The British and French will declare war on Germany, but there won't be any major action until May of 1940 when Germany invades France. Paris will fall by June, and the French government will sue for peace and surrender."
"That's it?" Rose exclaimed. "The rest of the world won't stand by and just let that happen!"
"Oh no, that's just how it will start, but I only wanted to explain why we have time for our trip before it gets too bad over there."
"What about Italy?" Edward asked. "Is it safe to travel there?"
"Italy has already signed friendship agreements with both Germany and Japan. They'll jump on the band wagon with Germany, and sign the Pact of Steel agreement which will create a full military alliance next year. Italy should be safe for the foreseeable future. There won't be serious fighting in Italy until 1942."
"The Volturi won't stand by for that…" Rose started.
"Yes they will," Alice contradicted her. "The Volturi don't care about human affairs, and wars have raged through Europe for millennia. If anything, they prefer time of war because it makes it easier to cover-up and disguise what we are and our feeding habits. They didn't care about the roman conquest of Gaul, they didn't balk at all of the fighting between Britain and France during the hundred year's war, they didn't mind when the crusaders set up kingdoms in Italy, and they sure as hell didn't mind the wars that raged through Europe during the Napoleonic period. Wars have gotten bigger and more devastating in modern times, but they didn't react to the First World War, so I doubt they'll mind a second one."
"Will there ever be peace then?" Emmett asked.
"War is the natural state of existence for humanity. People are deluded into believing in the existence of peace due to the fact that there are intervals in the fighting and the most powerful nations are capable of dictating where the fighting occurs. You've grown accustomed to the concept of peace because you were raised in America and few wars have been fought here. Well, at least human wars. You get a different perspective, living in the south."
"Fine" I said in an effort to lighten the mood. "We don't have to be to Volterra until the middle of July. What do you all want to see while we have the chance? It sounds like it'll be quite a while before we can go back again, and there's no telling what might get blown up. I guess we should start planning out an itinerary for our trip."
We spent most of the ride to Philadelphia talking about the trip and what we'd like to see.
Emmett hadn't been exposed to a lot of history in his limited education while growing up. He had a vague sense of knights in shining armor and stories of King Arthur and Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. He'd be happy to see a couple of castles and suits of armor, and he'd be satisfied with the trip. Anything else we showed him icing on the cake.
Rose was attempting to broaden his mind by having him read more, but he had a simple outlook on life and had a very pure straight forward mind. He had a simple sense of right and wrong, and luckily for all of us, it aligned with the rest of our viewpoints and basic philosophy.
Rose and I had been exposed to more history during our educations. I had attended a boy's prep school and cultivating a sense of history was an essential effort in preparation for university and eventual entry into the business community. Rose had been groomed to be the wife of an influential man, and although her opinions may not have necessarily been welcome, she was expected to be able to converse intelligently about world events and stay up to date on social issues and fashion trends.
Alice of course was an enigma. She didn't remember her human life, and she'd been sent to the sanitarium before she would have been old enough to attend high school. Regardless, she was intelligent and intuitive and had a sense of history that rivaled my own. She had voraciously devoured books when they became available to her and she was essentially self-educated.
History appealed to her. Perhaps it was her knowledge of the future that drove her interest in the past, or perhaps she was trying to develop a sense of perspective. Maybe she just wanted to try and prove or disprove the adage that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Whatever her reasons, she was well versed in history and knew where we would be traveling and what to expect there.
Alice directed us to a small motel on the outskirts of Philly. We checked in and rented rooms. They were nothing special, just a bed and a bathroom and thick curtains to keep out the sun. We went back out to the bikes and cruised into town to see what kind of fun there was until the bars closed.
Alice gave us directions again to a club in town. I was surprised at the choice of night club she had selected for us tonight. I typically preferred the quieter more sedate bar or lounge where we could drink in peace and avoid crowds unless I was hunting. I was more apt to choose a club with softer romantic dance music. Emmett's choices usually tended toward working class blue collar bars where you were equally likely to buy a drink, find a poker game or get into a fight.
There was loud jazz swing music blaring out of the club and several motorcycles parked out front. People were standing on the sidewalk outside the club in couples and groups smoking and chatting, most moving to the beat of the music. I was shocked by the outfits some of the girls wore with short skirts that came almost to their knees and tight revealing blouses and tight sweaters. I could feel the heat and energy literally radiating out the open doors of the club as it was apparent most of the patrons were dancing and carousing and carrying on.
"This is where you want to go, Alice?" I asked, shocked.
"You've seriously got to loosen up and learn to have some fun, Edward." Alice laughed.
"Yeah," Emmett said. "This joint is hoppin', Edward. Let's get a drink and shake a leg. You need to blow off some steam, man."
"C'mon. Edward," Rose said. "I know you love to dance. This looks like fun."
I parked the bike and Emmett pulled up beside me. We got off and Alice grabbed my hand and hung on my arm as she moved to drag me onto the side walk.
"I like to dance, but I prefer something more civilized and urbane. I'm not fond of Negro tribal chants and leaping around like something's crawled into my pants and bit me."
"Do you mean to tell me you've never even danced the Lindy Hop? It's been the most popular dance in America since 1927! What do you guys do for fun?"
"Edward's an old stick in the mud, Alice. Rosie and me like to get out and shake a leg when we get the chance. Edward is more the ballroom dance type. He'll pick up some girl in one of those snooty night clubs he likes and dance with her before he takes her up to his room, but that's just too high brow for me."
Alice was leading us through the club as we talked. She simply walked up to an empty table as the cocktail waitress was clearing it, and we sat down. It seemed like perfect timing in the crowded dance club, but I knew it was more Alice's ability than luck.
We ordered drinks and took off our jackets, and then Alice was up on her feet, pulling on my arm.
"C'mon, Edward, I want to dance."
"I don't have the first clue how to dance like this, Alice." I tried to resist, but she was very persistent.
"It'll be easy for you to pick up. Just watch my feet, and move to the music."
"Can't I just listen to the music? I was kidding before. I do like quite a bit of jazz, but I never had any inclination to dance to it."
"This is swing music, Edward. Now get out of the chair this instant, or I'll have Emmett drag you out onto the dance floor and hold you up so I can dance with you!"
I gave in as Alice knew I would, and let her drag me out onto the dance floor. I was a little tentative at first with the six step rhythm, but she was right. I picked it up quickly, following her lead at first, and then watching the other couples around us. I did what they did, and soon was improvising and having fun dancing with Alice.
Rose and Emmett followed us out onto the dance floor. They apparently had considerably more experience with this type of dancing and moved together confidently through the fluid footwork. Rose laughed as she let Emmett twirl her through spins and flipped her over his arm a couple of times. Alice laughed at their antics, and I had to admit I picked up some of the finer points of this dance style by watching them and trying some of the moves they used.
It was fun dancing with Alice like this, and I had to admit I did really like it. After several dances we went back to the table to have another drink. I called the waitress over and ordered our drinks as Alice opened her purse and got out a cigarette. She offered me one, and I took it. I got out my lighter and offered her a light and then lit my own. Alice sat back and took a long drag off her cigarette and blew out the smoke. The waitress was back with our drinks and I took a drink of the whiskey. Alice made a face as she sipped hers. She preferred her tequila, but they weren't going to have it here.
"Now that wasn't so bad, was it, Edward?" Alice asked. "You had fun, I know you did."
"Ok, it was fun. I had fun, but I think that had more to do with the company I was keeping than just dancing. Somehow everything we do together seem to be fun, Alice."
"I like you too, Edward. Keeping up with the latest trends and fads keeps us young. If we don't get out and have fun and live like people our age, then we'll turn into old people."
"Ballroom dancing is fun too, Alice. I saw the smile on your face and you laughed when we were dancing in the club at the Clarigde in Atlantic City. Young people dance like that too."
"I know. That kind of dancing will never go out of style, but we aren't always going to be in fancy night clubs and five star hotels. Clubs like this are more common, and this is where the man on the street goes to have fun, get a drink and dance the night away with his girl."
"I'm not the typical man on the street, Alice."
"You've got to change with the times, Edward. You've got to keep adapting to new things, or eventually, you'll start to stand out and attract attention. Following music and dance trends is a good way to stay fresh and new. It's fun too."
"Ok, this is fun. I'll leave it up to you to keep me young and up to date with the latest dance crazes, but I'll listen to the music I like. I keep up with new artists. I like most of the current trends."
Alice laughed. "Ok, you can have music. I'll keep up with the latest dance steps unless Rose beats me to the punch, but I've got fashion. That ones definitely mine. There are a couple of shops I'm just dying to visit when we get to Paris."
I finished my drink and stubbed out my cigarette butt in the ashtray. Alice wanted to dance again, and I didn't complain this time when I led her out on the dance floor. We danced late into the night, having fun and enjoying the music and drink and companionship. The girls took a break together when Rose dragged Alice off to the ladies room to fit in and fix their makeup. I stepped outside to have a smoke with Emmett, and then the girls dragged us back inside to dance until last call.
We cruised back to the motel but it was still three or four hours until the sleep would take us with the rising sun. I was looking forward to spending some private time with Alice alone in our room. She was an adventurous little vixen, and she was just as kinky as me. There were a lot of things we hadn't tried yet and I had thoroughly enjoyed what we'd already done together.
We walked into the motel room and we took off our jackets. I automatically went through my routine of locking the door securely and then checking the windows to insure they were closed, locked and securely covered to block out the sun infiltration while we slept.
Alice walked to the table and sat down. She took a package out of her purse and busied herself with some activity while I made sure the room was secure. I was curious about what she was doing. There was an oddly pungent scent coming from the bag she'd unrolled and opened, and I walked to the table to see what she was doing.
She was finishing up rolling a hand rolled cigarette as she licked the gummed strip on the rolling paper and pressed it down to seal the tube. The contents of the bag and cigarette didn't look or smell like tobacco. It was plant matter, like some kind of herb, greenish brown in clumps like dried plant buds. They looked similar to hops but longer and darker with very fine reddish hairs, and the smell was different. Kind of like a sweet pungent skunky scent. She appeared to have shredded several of the buds to separate out the seeds, and then used the shredded bud material to roll the cigarette.
"What are you doing, Alice?" I asked, curious.
"You haven't tried this before?"
"No, what is that. It doesn't smell like tobacco, but you're rolling it, so I'm assuming you're planning on smoking it…"
"No, definitely not tobacco," She rose from her seat and took my hand and led me to the bed. She scooted onto the bed and made room for me to climb on and sit beside her. "I found somebody selling some ganja at the club, so I picked some up for us."
She placed the hand rolled cigarette between her lips and lit it, taking a big drag of the sweet pungent smoke and holding it in before exhaling. Her thoughts were sketchy. She wasn't actively blocking me, but her thoughts were disjointed and rambled as though she was apprehensive and was simply avoiding thinking about some things.
"Ganja… You mean marijuana? You are progressive, aren't you? First Negro music and dancing, and now the Negro drug of choice too? Isn't that supposed to cause mania and murderous rages? Is it even safe?"
This wasn't her first experience with marijuana, or ganja as she thought of it. She didn't think of the hand rolled cigarette as that… It was a joint in her mind. A distinction she made because it was rolled from marijuana instead of tobacco.
Alice held the joint out to me. "Here, take a hit and try it for yourself. There are a lot of different names for this. It's ganja down south in the jazz clubs. Marijuana is the more popular name here up north. That's what they call it in Mexico. Most of the hype is just that, propaganda because it's popular with black musicians and entertainers, and besides, it isn't going to affect us the same way it affects humans. It's really kind of nice."
I took the joint from her. It was slightly moist as the sticky sap in the buds melted and seeped into the paper, turning it darker with faint brown streaks running up the sides. I flicked the ashes into the ash tray, and then raised the hand rolled cigarette to my lips, drawing in the sweet pungent smoke, inhaling deeply as it filled my lungs.
Tobacco helped alleviate some of the symptoms of vampirism. It reduced the burn of the thirst and helped us to control the bloodlust, but the effects were limited and fleeting.
This was completely different. The burn went away as the smoke bathed the back of my throat and filled my lungs. The world seemed to slow down as a warm euphoric lethargy spread through me. I exhaled and handed the cigarette back to Alice and I was enthralled by the patterns of smoke that trailed behind it as it moved through the air. Colors seemed brighter and sound sharper.
The tension and natural wariness that had been constantly part of my awareness since waking as a vampire relaxed as the tension flowed out of my body. I was continuously on edge, ready to strike and defend, but this drug allowed me to relax for the first time in all my years. Even when we slept, we didn't get any true relief from it. The lethargy that spread through us as a prelude to the sleep came over us sometimes was almost like a panic as we knew it meant we would be helpless to react to our environment around us. We were aware but unable to resist. The sleep was like flipping a switch. We didn't fall asleep. One minute we were awake, and the next we were unconscious unless we fought it. Waking up was the same way. We were just suddenly fully aware.
Liquor didn't affect us like this. We didn't get drunk, but liquor helped to warm us and relieve some of the burn. Large quantities of alcohol would give us a mild buzz, but nothing like this.
Alice passed me the joint and I took another big drag of smoke. I felt a pleasant euphoria spread through my body as I relaxed, for once free from tension and wariness.
I was considering how much I liked this sensation when the night got better. Alice climbed onto my lap facing me as her knees straddled my hips. She moved her face close to mine as she pressed her body against me. Her lips were barely brushing against mine, not quite touching, as she exhaled a thin stream of smoke into my mouth, and I inhaled it, drawing her breath and smoke into my lungs. I wrapped my arms around her body, pulling her against me as my lips crashed against hers and I exhaled through my nose letting the smoke billow around us.
I sucked he lower lip between mine, tracing back and forth across it with my tongue, and then my tongue was pushing between her lips to swirl and twine around hers. Alice tilted her head to the side to improve the angle as her mouth opened to me and our kisses grew deeper and more passionate.
My hand moved up her back into her short shiny black locks as her hair slipped between my fingers and I pulled her mouth tighter against mine. Her tiny hands snaked around my neck as she knotted her fingers in my hair. Her hips were rocking rhythmically against me, grinding her core against my hardness, driving my passion.
I reached down with my free hand, tugged the hem of her shirt free from her pants. My hand slipped inside, tracing my fingertips up her spine. I found the clasp of her bra and my fingertips flipped it open with a deft pinch and twist.
Alice moaned against my lips, and then I was reaching for the hem of her shirt with both hands. I worked the fabric up her torso, and then we were forced to break our kiss as she leaned back. I pulled the blouse out from between us and lifted the cups of her bra away from her chest. The straps slipped down onto her arms as my hands traced across her silky flesh, slipping under her bra to cup her full round breasts.
I caressed and massaged her perfect breasts and tweaked her nipples while her fingers started to work on the buttons of my shirt. Alice managed to open the first couple, but then my arms were in the way as I played with her and she couldn't reach lower.
I laughed at her frustration, and she grew inpatient. She gripped the front of my shirt and ripped it open, sending the remaining buttons flying. She was frantically yanking at the remains of the shirt to pull it off, and I leaned forward so she could pull the tail loose and yank it off of me.
My hands moved between us, reaching for the button closure on her pants. They opened to my nimble fingers as I pulled the buttons free, and then slipped my hands into the waist band to work her pants down over her ass.
I was forced to stop as the denim pants gathered around her hips, but she was straddling my lap and I couldn't take them off of her. I reached between her legs, and she purred as she stroked my chest and kissed my neck. I could feel her heat and moisture and knew she was wet with desire.
I was frustrated now and I reached for the open halves of her fly to part the fabric and rip the pants off her like she had done to my shirt.
I saw the vision of what I was about to do in her mind. Alice frantically scrambled back from me, causing that future to vanish like smoke from her minds eye.
"Edward! These are a designer original! Give me a minute to take them off!"
I chuckled while she pulled off her boots and quickly shucked her pants. "What about my shirt? It doesn't deserve the same consideration?" I asked as I pulled off my own boots and dropped them over the side of the bed.
"That was just an ordinary everyday work shirt, although it looked good on you. I think I can spare a dime to buy you a new one."
"What if I was fond of that one?" I reached for her and pushed her down onto her back as I covered her with my body. I dropped my head to her chest and sucked her nipple between my lips, swirling my tongue around it as the flesh of her areola crinkled and her nipple hardened into a hard pebble under my ministrations.
Alice gasped and arched her back, driving her breast more firmly against my mouth. "Oh god… Find the buttons… I'll sew them back on…" she panted as I played with her nipples.
I switched sides, lavishing my affections on her other breast until her nipple hardened under my tongue while I squeezed and massaged her other breast.
Her hands were caressing my back and arms and stroking my shoulders as she arched and shuddered under me. Her hands moved into my hair as I worked lower, kissing down across the flat planes of her stomach.
I reached her hip bone and kissed it as I nuzzled across her body to her other hip bone, trailing my tongue across her heated flesh across the top of the elastic band of her panties. My hands reached for the sides of her panties, working them lower as I trailed kisses across the exposed flesh.
Alice moaned as my lips and nose grazed into the curly pubic hair above her sex. I kissed her mound as I pulled her panties down. She raised her hips, pressing her aroused flesh into my face as I pulled her panties down past her ass, and then I slid them down her legs and off over her petite delicate feet.
I pushed Alice's knees apart as I moved between then, kissing down the creamy flesh on the inside of her thighs as I lifted her knees and pushed her legs back.
She gasped as I reached her sex with my lips, kissing her folds as I pressed my face against her. Her breath hissed between her lips as my tongue lapped against her, pressing into her exposed folds and licking up the length of her slit.
Alice was trying to buck against my face as she lay quivering beneath me, but my hands were on her legs, pushing them back and spreading her thighs. Her hands were knotted in my hair as she pulled my face as hard against her dripping pussy as she could.
My tongue lapped at her, slithering through her folds, circling her clit, and then flicking the sensitive bundle of nerves from side to side. It was fully erect and poking out of its hood as she writhed in pleasure and moaned while I licked her.
I moved lower to lick at her opening as my nose nuzzled her clit, rubbing it back and forth as I pressed my tongue into her. I could feel her hymen as I pressed my tongue against it and forced it into the tiny opening left by her healed flesh. It regenerated every time after we had sex, and I knew I hurt Alice, but it didn't stop either of us from wanting this. I thrust my tongue into her as my nose pressed against her clit and she writhed against my face in ecstasy.
"Edward… Bite me when I cum… Oh god… I'm so close…"
I could see what she wanted me to do in the visions in her head, but her request still startled me.
"Are you sure, Alice?" I had to ask as I pulled back to speak.
"God…! Don't stop now…!" She panted as she dragged my head back between her legs.
I knew what she wanted. I could see her vision. I would do it for her if this was how she wanted it. I had to admit, it would make it easier for her. I reached down with one hand and opened my pants as she held my head between legs while I licked her pussy and drove her closer to her climax.
"Just do it, Edward… I know you want to… it'll be easier…" she panted between moans.
Alice was bucking her hips into me as she locked her thighs around my ears. Her moans were coming as one long high pitched keening sound, and then she grunted as I pressed my tongue against her in one last lick. I pressed my nose back into her as my tongue thrust into her. She yelled my name, and I felt a spasm pulse through her body as her muscles contracted. Her clit was throbbing against my nose and her pussy clenched around my tongue.
I let her ride out most of her orgasm, and then I concentrated, forcing my fangs extend. I sank them deep into her most tender flesh, injecting my venom into her sex. She didn't flinch from the bite as the venom anesthetized her sex letting the euphoric effects mix with her orgasm and the ganja still in her system. Her muscles relaxed and her head lolled to the side as oblivion took her. I lifted my head as my fangs retracted and I was quickly sliding up the bed to cover her. I pushed my pants down to my knees as I moved up the bed so my hips were between her splayed thighs.
I grasped my solid cock and stroked it through her folds to wet it in her freely flowing lubrication. I found her opening with the head of my cock and rammed it into her, tearing through her barrier and sliding all the way into her in one long stroke. I reveled in the feeling of my cock buried deep inside her as I took her. Her heated flesh molded to me and gripped my cock tight as my thighs pressed against her, but I needed more.
I started to move inside her, pulling back until I was almost out and then slamming deep into her again, over and over as I moved rhythmically in and out of her body. I let my weight settle against her as our bodies slapped together, pinning her body down as I pistoned into her.
Alice was coming back to her senses now as I used her body for my pleasure. Her hands clutched at my shoulder and legs wrapped around my waist as I drove into her, seeking my release. I didn't try to hold back or wait for her to catch up. There were more hours left in the night for gentle love making. This was rougher and more animalistic as I fucked her and used her body for my own self-gratification.
I knew I was getting close as I grunted with every deep stroke into her. My teeth were clenched and my eyes were pinched shut as the ecstasy of feeling my cock thrust into her hot slippery sex overwhelmed me. I felt the tickle in the base of my cock and balls that signaled my imminent release, and I grunted I buried my cock to the hilt deep inside her. My orgasm flashed through my body as I exploded into her core. My essence spewed into her filling her sex with my seed as my cock pulsed, shooting into her.
I collapsed onto Alice, panting against her neck as she stroked the short hair at the nape of my neck. I knew she liked my weight against her and she held me as I recovered.
"Thank you, Edward. I knew it would be easier like this."
"Are you sure, Alice? I care deeply for you. You know I would never do anything to hurt you…"
"It didn't hurt at all, Edward. I wasn't there for the pain part and now we can have fun tonight without having to worry about you hurting me. Besides, you've got to admit it was kind of hot. You liked it."
I rolled off of her and gathered her against my chest as I held her and stroked her back and hair.
"And what does that say about me as a person, Alice? I shouldn't want to 'take you' and simply use your body for my pleasure…"
"It says you're a man and you have a man's needs." Alice reached between us and started to stroke my still flaccid cock. I was slick with our combined juices and my cock twitched in her hand as she stroked me. "Now, let me see what I can do about satisfying some of those needs, and then you can use this to show me how gentle and loving you can be."
"That sounds like a plan…" I gasped as my cock grew in her hands and I shifted on the bed to give her better access.
"I thought so. There are still a lot of hours until dawn, and this is the darkest part of the night when humans sleep. We might as well enjoy it."
I started to nod in agreement, and then threw my head back and moaned in pleasure as Alice's lips circled the head of my cock and started to slip lower. This was going to prove to be a most interesting night. Only one of many I knew we'd share together.
Author's note:
Sorry this chapter is late. FFN was down the last couple of days. You could still search for stories, and read what was already posted, but the account management servers were apparently down, and you couldn't even log into your account.
I understand that Edward makes some comments that were popularly accepted as normal and common place for somebody in his social and economic niche in 1938. I understand that these attitudes and viewpoints might be somewhat controversial in 2012. I have endeavored to keep the story as PC as possible, given the era being portrayed, but it is 1938. Edward will become more open minded as the story progresses and society in general changes and becomes more open minded.
I'm trying something new with this story. Anyone who reviews will receive a teaser for the next chapter, so please let me know what you think.
